How we manage forests

Forest Enterprise England manages the public forest estate, which is around 20% of the country’s woodland.

This is made up of some 250,000 hectares of woodland and other natural environments across England – roughly equivalent to 350,000 football pitches, or the area of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds combined!

Forests have natural cycles of seasonal change that take place alongside much longer cycles of growth and regeneration that span many lifetimes. Many of the natural environments we care for are ancient or native woodlands and it is vital we look after them for generations to come.

Our professional approach to sustainable forest management allows us to keep our public forests and woodlands as special places for nature, which people can enjoy and businesses can thrive in.

To find out more about our plans for your local woods, take a look at our individual forest plans.

People

The public forest estate is the most extensive resource for outdoor recreation in the country many of our finest national parks to the edges of our largest cities. We get around 226 million visits each year.

We have a long history of welcoming visits from the public, and we continue to make our woodlands accessible to people on bike, horseback and on foot.

Providing access for recreational activities also helps us to support businesses and contribute to local economies throughout England.

Economy

We generate revenue by harvesting and selling timber, and by working with commercial partners to offer new ways to experience and enjoy our woodlands and develop business activities. This provides us with opportunities to support local businesses and with essential income to support our learning programmes, nature conservation and other activities.